New Republic of Kafuristan

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Capital                     Lehaza (3333-3336) al-Kasraj (3336-3347)
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Legislature             Majlis al-Umma
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The Republic of Kafuristan (Majatran: al-Jumhuriyyah al-Qafuristaniyyah / الجمهورية الكافورستاني), known largely as the New Republic, was a period in the history of Kafuristan, lasting just over fourteen years.

Kafuristan is located on the north-eastern tip of Majatra and is bordered by Solentia to the south, Kalopia to the south-west, and Badara off the northern coast.

The state is home to Abadism (a form of Ahmadism) as well as the holy city of Helem, which receives many pilgrimages from across Terra, as well as the wider Majatran continent.

History

Main article: History of Kafuristan

Origins of the New Republic

When the Nord Republic collapsed in the 3320s, the new government attempted to re-establish the Kingdom of Kafuristan. However these efforts never reached full success and the monarchy remained vacant through the entirety of what became known as the Transitional State of Kafuristan.

Badaran occupation in Jerze'har.

Just under a decade later, in the midst of the Great Majatran War, major governmental reforms entered the national stage. While initial intents were to revive the monarchy, republicanism took prominence, especially during the war. Over the course of 3332, plans were drawn up regarding the creation of a new Kafuri republic. In the fall the plans went to vote in parliament and were approved unanimously.

Foundation & A Continuing War

On January 1, 3333 the Republic of Kafuristan, known largely as the New Republic, was officially established. In February the first elections for the President of the Republic were held and won by Zayn Nasri, who served as Prime Minister during most of the transitional period.

Towards the end of the year, nearly all Badaran troops were expelled from their occupation of Jerze'har and Zardugal began invasion of the Badaran homeland.

In January 3334, negotiations of peace re-emerged, leading to the Venetium Peace Conference in Zardugal and a ceasefire by all sides of the conflict. However, as peace loomed closer, the military-wing of the National Democratic Party broke from the party, beginning the Republican Guard Insurgency, which lasted until early 3339.

The first act in the insurgency was an attempted coup in Lehonti, along with an attempted assassination of President Zayn Nasri. The National Republican Army was quickly blacklisted and sought out by the Kafuri military.

At the end of 3336, the national capital was moved to al-Kasraj following numerous name changes to Kafuristan's largest cities.

Foreign Peace & Domestic Tension

In the summer of 3337, a treaty had been agreed to at the Venetian conference and was drafted by the Zardics. While the leadership of Kafuristan supported the treaty, it failed approval for ratification in parliament due to a block by the Ba'athist Party. This ultimately led to President Zayn Nasri ousting Ba'athist members of his cabinet, giving his party full command of the executive branch. This was then followed by a release from the foreign ministry which acknowledge the treaty and stated that it would be recognized by the current Kafuri government as law.

A year following the conclusion of the Republican Guard Insurgency, terrorism spiked in Kafuristan. The acts were committed by radical members of the Ba'athist Party and largely targeted Hosians and other minority groups. The government soon began heavy counter-terrorism programs, even bringing in help from special agents of Zardugal and Dorvik. Between 3340 and 3342 the terrorism was most present, but after the government's actions, decreased in following years.

Election of the Ba'athists

After just over ten years as president, Zayn Nasri announced he would retire from politics in 3343. In his place, Nouri al-Baghdadi ran for president but was defeated in a highly controversial election. The Ba'athist candidate, Grand Ayatholla Abu Bakr al-Hashem, won the election and many allegations of voter manipulation and intimidation followed.

While the Ba'athists had won the presidency, the Black Scorpion Alliance retained control of the government and of all cabinet positions. The Ba'athists again won the presidency in 3346, in yet another controversial election.

Angered by the outcome, the Autonomous Ahazi Republic was formed by the governorates of Abi'nadi and O'mer. The entity operated in the same nature as a governorate would but it did not recognize the Ba'athist presidents and declared its own.

Collapse of the New Republic

Only a few months following the 3346 election, the parliament voted to call early elections. In January of the next year the elections were held and the Ba'athists were defeated by Foreign Minister Khayriyya Abdul-Nasri.

That spring the Ba'athists declared total independence from the New Republic, forming the Revolutionary Abadi Republic of North Kafuristan. This state was composed of Pabeus, Jerze'har, and Nekkah. A few days following the Ba'athist declaration, a similar move was made by Asli activists, who formed the Republic of Akmed in Pabeus.

For a short time the New Republic continued operation following the secessions, but soon disintegrated itself. The Black Scorpion Alliance declared that the New Republic of Kafuristan was a unified state of the Kafuri Peninsula, and "given the destruction of that unity, the New Republic existed no more." The loyalist territory, composed entirely of the Autonomous Ahazi Republic, adopted the name of the Ahazi Republic.

Geography

Kafuristan is located on the north-eastern tip of the continent of Majatra, has a relatively green outside with access to rivers as well as the coast, as well as a large desert mid-interior which leads to rocky mountains the further inland and south you travel. North lies the islands nation of Badara which Kafuristan shares much of its cultural and religious heritage with. It is believed that early Majatrans would travel between the main continent and these islands often for trading and other religious and cultural reasons.

Climate

Most of Kafuristan's rain fall in the winter months. The country used to experience quite a lot more rain in the distant past but these days rainfall averages only around 2 to 5 mm (0.1 to 0.2 in) per year and at intervals of many years. Snow has been known to occasionally fall in the most mountainous regions to the south at high altitudes. Summers are generally hot and dry where temperatures tend to range between 90 °F (32 °C) and 109 °F (43 °C). These are particularly pronounced the further inland you go as coastal breezes become less efficient at cooling the land from around 1pm onwards in the day.

Prior to the great droughts which started to begin in recorded history not long before the first republic was formed, it was common that inland areas could be used for harvesting, but due to the concentration of humidity in the north and rainfall in coastal areas farming and other food production has either had to become more efficient at adapting to a low rainfall environment or be moved to the outermost regions of the nation's political and physical restrictions.

Government & Politics

The New Republic was a presidential republic, composed of three branches of government. It had a strong executive branch, accompanied by legislative and judicial branches.

Much of Kafuristan's law were decentralized to its five administrative divisions, the governorates. These were led by elected governors as an executive and a local legislature. Towards the end of the New Republic, the Autonomous Ahazi Republic became a de facto administrative division, replacing Abi'nadi and O'mer.

Executive Branch

In the New Republic, the President served as head of state. The head of state was the leading representative of the nation and held much control of the over governance. The President was responsible for forming a cabinet, which presided over various important sectors of the national government. Leading the cabinet was the head of government, the Chief Minister. That position held relatively low amounts of power and served largely to assist the president in carrying out his duties. In some sense, it can be said that the president was the de facto head of government in addition to de jure head of state.

Legislative Branch

While the executive branch was undeniably strong in the New Republic, the legislature was also quite powerful. The center of the branch was the unicameral Majlis al-Umma (House of the Nation). It was composed of 201 members.

Majlis al-Umma in al-Kasraj.

The parliament was the lawmaker of the nation and the executive branch had no veto powers. The legislature also had the power of approving the ratification of treaties and the appointments to the cabinet and judiciary. Often cabinet posts would place certain categories of proposals to vote for approval in the parliament.

Within parliament there had been many political movements represented, formed out of differing ideologies and stated objectives. Citizens were afforded the political right to discuss topics pertaining to their government as well as the nation. Elections for parliament were held every 36 months (3 years).

Judicial Branch

The judicial branch was headed by the Supreme Court of Kafuristan. It was composed of eight associate justices and one chief justice. The justices were appointed by the president and approved by the parliament. They served for life or until they choose to resign.

Administrative Divisions

The New Republic was divided into five subdivisions, known as governorates (muhafazaht). The governorates were divided into smaller entities, as determined by the governments of the governorate. Each governorate had its own local parliament that made local laws and policy. Additionally, the governorates were led by an elected governor.

Towards the end of the New Republic, the Autonomous Ahazi Republic became a de facto subdivision of the nation, replacing Abi'nadi and O'mer.

The governorates held considerable power in determining their laws, as power was largely decentralized from the federal government in a number of policy areas.

Governorate	Flag	Area	Capital
Abi'nadi until June 3, 3346		236,400 km²	Helem
Autonomous Ahazi Republic de facto from June 3346		447,900 km²	Ahaz
Jerze'har		132,300 km²	Zerin
Nekkah		156,300 km²	Shayla
O'mer until June 3, 3346		211,500 km²	Ephraim
Pabeus		182,400 km²	Lehaza

Economy

Main Article: Economy of Kafuristan

Historically, Kafuristan has had a very oil-centric economy. Along with Badara, Kafuristan is one of the most oil rich nations in all of Terra. During the transitional period and the New Republic the economy changed expansively, going beyond oil. However, oil still remained a huge booster for national wealth.

Beginning the 3320s, Kafuristan adopted many economically liberal policies and made huge cuts to corporate taxes. During the New Republic, both the manufacturing and service sectors saw considerable growth. Cities like al-Kasraj and Zerin became economic centers and many skyscrapers rose on their horizons. The cities hosted Kafuristan's two stock exchanges, the Kasraj Exchange (KEX) and the Zerin Mercantile Exchange (ZME). Of the two, the Kasraj Exchange was the primary exchange of the nation.

The largest industries in the New Republic, besides oil, were textiles, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and mining. There was also significant growth in the consumer electronics and banking sectors in the New Republic's urban centres.

Demographics

Most citizens of Kafuristan are Majatran. They form a base of around ninety percent of the overall population. There are numerous minorities, the most noticeable being Badaran Bedouins. There are also smaller groups, such as the Asli, Delic, Kalopian, and Solentian.

Language

The official language of Kafuristan is Modern Standard Majatran. It is known universally by all citizens. There is also a presence of the local Kafuri dialect of Majatran. Most Kafuri are multilingual, a characteristic which is heavily encouraged in the school system.

Al'tharim Mosque in Helem.

There are minority groups that speak other languages in their own communities. Minority languages include Asli Majatran, Kalopian, Solentian, and Delic.

Religion

Abadi, a form of Ahmadism, is the predominant religion of Kafuristan and is practiced by about ninety percent of the population. Kafuristan is home to the Ahmadi holy city of Helem.

Hosian church in Zerin.

There is a very small Hosian minority, largely centered in the major cities of Zerin and al-Kasraj. Most are adherents of the Eastern Rite of the Patriarchal Church. This group is one of the fastest growing in Kafuristan. The other quickly growing group in Kafuristan are those who label themselves are irreligious.

An ancient, indigenous religion of Kafuristan is Tritism. The number of followers of Tritism is unknown and it has no presence in modern Kafuri society. This has led some historians to conclude that Tritism is an extinct faith.

Higher Education

Kafuristan is the site of many prestigious institutions, such as the University of Zerin and Kasraj University. Numerous other universities exist throughout the five governorates. Kafuri universities hold high standards and do much to ensure their graduating students successfully secure stable careers. For Kafuri citizens there are no charges for university education, removing all economic barriers to a higher education. Very low tuition and fees exist for foreign students, making Kafuristan an attractive choice for foreigners looking to study abroad.

Military

Main Article: Armed Forces of Kafuristan

A Kafuri tank.

The Kafuri Armed Forces are divided into three branches, the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force. Within the Army branch is the Special Service Unit, Kafuristan's most elite military force. Over the course of Kafuri history the Armed Forces have been involved in many large conflicts, including the Great Majatran War and the South Ocean War.

The Supreme Military Council (Majlis al-A'la lil-Quwwat al-Musallahah) is the highest military organ in Kafuristan and overseas the operation of the Armed Forces. The Council consists of a body of eleven senior officers in the Kafuri military and are led by the President.

Intermingled with the military and executive branch is the General Intelligence Directorate (GID), Kafuristan's intelligence agency. The agency entered total operation during the Great Majatran War, having previously been largely unkempt. During this period the GID also took control as the sole intelligence agency, overseeing both domestic and foreign intelligence.